Twilight sat out on the balcony, using her magic to blot out the last bits of the Sun from the sky that made up her Dusk, so that Luna could raise the Moon high into the heavens. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and after over a millennium, it still took her breath away to get to even witness it, much less create it. Yes…a whole millennium since she had ascended Alicornhood. A whole millennium since her friends had died.

All but one.

Wings beating in the air caused her ears to twitch. A soft smile appeared on her face. There was only one that came the moment the Moon rose. Hooves softly clacked against the marble and crystal fused floor. She looked over, a mare was giving her the gentlest of smiles.

“Good Morning, Twilight.” The mare greeted.

Twilight chuckled, “Good Morning for you, you mean. Surely remember Day, Dusk, and Night, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy brushed her flowing sakura pink mane out of her face, “I do…but it has been a while since I’ve been able to enjoy the sun.”

Twilight walked up to the mare and nuzzled her muzzle. Fluttershy arched a brow, her crimson irises glimmering in the night,

“Only a nuzzle? Surely I am more deserving of greater affection than that.”

Twilight inwardly cringed and hesitated. But, she loved Fluttershy so much, that she ignored the thoughts rampaging through her head at the moment. She placed her lips against Fluttershy’s in a loving kiss. She received equal, loving affection from the pony, but after over a millennium, there was still something she couldn’t get used to.

Her lips were frigid cold.

Fluttershy still managed to feel the slight flinch when their lips met. She looked at Twilight with worried eyes,

“That still bothers you, huh?”

With guilt in her eyes, Twilight averted her gaze elsewhere. Fluttershy let an awkward smirk grace her lips,

“It still bothers me too….that I’m not a regular pony anymore…

Twilight looked over at Fluttershy and studied her form. She was no longer the shy pony that once bore the Element of Kindness. She was a being carved from the stones of Beauty and Ferocity. She could lure ponies in with one of her loving smiles, then rip them to shreds with her hooked fangs. Yes, she was known throughout Equestria as a former Element Bearer, and a being of the night. Her coat, though it was a paler shade of yellow, still glimmered in the moonlight. Her mane and tail were much longer than before, swirling around on the ground, and glowing with an almost ethereal light pink glow. Twilight glanced up when the little tufts on Fluttershy’s ears as they moved with the wind. To the Princess, they were adorable. But only Twilight said that. Only she was allowed to enjoy the gentle side of Fluttershy’s personality. To everypony else, Fluttershy was a graceful and ferocious being, that was meant to be feared and respected. Twilight’s smile faltered a bit,

“You may not be a normal pony anymore, but that doesn’t mean you’re not YOU.” Twilight stated softly. “You will always be my friend…my lover…” she stepped closer to pressed her side up against Fluttershy’s side,

“You’re still my Fluttershy…”

The wind was cold, and Fluttershy’s body was colder still…but Twilight didn’t care. This was still her closest companion, even closer than she was to Spike. That was not to say she did not miss her number one assistant. She considered him to be like a scaly younger brother, and was heartbroken when he left. But his dragon heritage called out to him, his instinct to be free from the tiny town raging inside of him. And with loving goodbyes, he left, traveling across the world in search of starting a life of his own, collecting things he would hoard and cherish forever.

But not Fluttershy.

Twilight was ashamed to admit that she thought Fluttershy would be the first to go of her friends. Equestria had changed into a world of science and machines and war. Fluttershy was far too kind to be in this world, unlike the others, who had slipped away from the War of Revolution, or with old age. As they each passed on, she and Fluttershy became ever closer to each other. Their bond grew stronger, and they grew inseparable. By the time Rarity had slipped into the embrace of death, their friendship had blossomed into a form of love so powerful, that it was as if Cadance had matched them together herself. It was a kind of love that Twilight didn’t want to lose. So when it was Fluttershy’s turn to slip into the afterlife, she did whatever she needed to do to bring her back. She used the latest technology, and a great deal of her Alicornian magic, to turn Fluttershy from a Fruit Batpony, to a true Vampony…

Twilight shivered. She felt something cold nuzzle against her cheek. She looked over at Fluttershy again. She was smiling at her. That sweet…gentle smile that Twilight had come to love so much.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy whispered. Her voice was raspy, dry from a thirst that normal drinks could not quench. Fluttershy broke out into a fit of coughs that made Twilight wince. She knew what that meant,

“You’re thirsty, aren’t you…”

Fluttershy looked over at her timidly, then up at the Moon. She slowly nodded. Twilight sighed and looked out at the city,

“You should…get something to drink…”

Fluttershy looked over at her worriedly, “A-are you sure? I mean, I wou-”

“Fluttershy…I don’t want to know the details on how you survive…but I do want you to survive.” Twilight got a small, sad smile on her face, “Go do your thing, Shy…”

Fluttershy solemnly nodded, before looking out at the city with her. Twilight winced as she heard the pops and cricks that signaled the turning of Fluttershy into her true Vampony form.

The thing Twilight was afraid of.

The princess stole a glance at her lover’s terrifying transformation. The way that her eyes turned feral, like an angry beast waiting to be unleashed. How her fangs stuck out further than normal, ready to dig themselves into whatever prey she got her hooves on. Her mane and tail became unkempt, her tail flicking about with agitation. Her leathery bat wings snapped wide open, as she got ready to take flight. She slowly looked over at Twilight, her piercing gaze sending another chill through Twilight. This was a true monster looking at her. A creature from a race of species that was older than Celestia and Luna. A race that predated the earliest recorded history known to ponykind. A race of monsters, that could even go hoof to hoof with the Princess of Magic and Friendship. Fluttershy’s eyes studied her, examining her, picking her apart, until nothing but her bare soul was exposed. Her catlike irises contracted and dilated, and Twilight was frozen under her stare. Sometimes, she feared that Fluttershy would lose control of this inner animal, and attempt to strike her down, forcing her to-

Twilight gasped. Fluttershy was directly in front of her, her face mere inches from Twilight’s own. She had never been this close to her when she was like this. She didn’t realize just how much taller Fluttershy was than her. The Vampony leaned in closer. Twilight had gotten a lot better at flying than when she first attained her wings. But even now, after all these years, she knew she could not out fly the Fluttershy that was standing in front of her. The one that had the blood line of an ancient creature that was built to attack from the sky. She tilted her head just a little, as if she was going to drive her fangs deep into Twilight’s jugular. Instead, she aimed a bit higher, and planted her lips on one of Twilight’s cheeks in a kiss. When she pulled away, Twilight was looking at her, completely stunned. She leaned for a second time and whispered, with her throat still dry as dust,

“I have loved you for a thousand years…”

With that, she gave her another peck, this time on the lips, and took off into the night. Twilight rubbed her cheek like love struck filly, while she watched the Vampony dive bomb into the city, seeking out a suitable prey. When Twilight finally lost sight of her, she finished Fluttershy’s sentence,

“And I’ll love you for a thousand more…”